Mcdonalds Around the World Essay Example for Free

Mcdonalds Around the World Essay Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s restaurant in 1955 in the United States. He offered a limited menu of high quality; moderately priced food served fast spotless surroundings. McDonald’s QSCV (quality, service, cleanliness, and value) was a hit. The chain expanded into every state in the nation. By 1983 it had more than 6,000 restaurants in the United States, and by 1995 it had more than 18,000 restaurants in 89 countries. In 1995 alone, the company built 2,400 restaurants, and by 2001 it had more than 29,000 restaurants in 121 countries. In 1967, McDonald’s opened its first restaurant outside the United States- in Canada. Since then, its international growth accelerated. In 1995, the â€Å"Big Six† countries that provided about 80 percent of the international operating income were Canada, Japan, Germany, Australia, France, and Britain. Yet fast food has barely touched many cultures. The opportunities for expanding the market are great, as 99 percent of the world populations are not yet McDonald’s customers. For example, in China, with a population of 1. 2 billion people, there were only 62 McDonald’s restaurants in 1995. McDonald’s vision is to be the major player in food services around the world. In Europe, McDonald’s maintains a small percentage of restaurant sales but commands a large share of the fast-food market. It took the company 14 years of planning before it opened a restaurant in Moscow in 1990. But the planning paid off. After the opening, people were standing in line for up to two hours for a hamburger. It has been said that McDonald’s restaurant in Moscow attracts more visitors (on average 27,000 daily) than Lenin’s mausoleum (about 9,000 people), which used to be the place to see. The Beijing opening in 1992 attracted some 40,000 people to the largest (28,000 square foot) McDonald’s restaurant in China at a location where some 800,000 pedestrians pass by every day. Food is prepared in accordance with local laws. For example, the menus in Arab countries comply with Islamic food preparation laws. In 1995, McDonald’s opened its first kosher restaurant in Jerusalem, where it does not serve dairy products. The taste for fast food, American style, is growing more rapidly abroad than at home. McDonald’s international sales have been increasing by a large percentage every year. Every day, more than 33 million people eat at McDonald’s around the world, with 18 million of them in the United States. Prices vary considerably around the world, ranging from $ 3. 81 in Switzerland to $ 0. 78 in Argentina for the Big Mac, which costs in the United States $ 2. 49. The Economist magazine even devised a Big Mac index to estimate whether a currency is over-or undervalued. For example, the $1. 27 Chinese Mac translates into an implied purchasing power parity of $ 4. 22. The inference is that the Chinese currency is undervalued. Here are other price comparisons for the $ 2. 49 U. S Big Mac: Chile $ 2. 16, Euro area $ 2. 37, Hong Kong $ 1. 40, Japan $ 2. 01, Mexico $ 2. 37, Peru $ 2. 48, Singapore $ 1. 81 and Thailand $ 1. 27. McDonald’s traditional menu has been surprisingly successful. People with diverse dining habits have adopted burgers and fries wholeheartedly. Before McDonald’s introduced the Japanese to French fries, potatoes were used in Japan only to make starch. The Germans thought hamburgers were people from the city of Hamburg. Now McDonald’s also serves chicken, sausage, and salads. Another item, a very different product, is pizza. In Norway, McDonald’s serves grilled salmon sandwich, in the Philippines pasta sauce with frankfurter bits, and in Uruguay hamburger with a poached egg. Any new venture is risky and can be either a very profitable addition or a costly experiment. Despite the global operations, McDonald’s stays in close contact with its customers, who want good taste, fast and friendly service, clean surroundings, and quality. To attain quality, so called quality assurance centers are located in the United States, Europe, and Asia. In addition, training plays an important part in customer service. Besides day-today coaching, Hamburger Universities in the United States, Germany, Britain, Japan, and Australia teach the necessary skills in 22 languages with the aim of providing 100 percent customer satisfaction. It is interesting that McDonald’s was one of the first restaurants in Europe to welcome families with children. Not only are children welcomed, but in many restaurants they are also entertained with crayons and paper, a play land, and the clown Ronald McDonald, who can speak 20 languages. With generally aging populations, McDonald’s takes aim at the adult market. With heavy advertising (it has been said that McDonald’s will spend $200 million to promote the new burger), the company introduced Arch Deluxe on a potato-flower bun with lettuce, onions, ketchup, tomato slices, American cheese, grainy mustard, and Mayonnaise. Although McDonald’s considers the over 50 adult burger a great success, a survey conducted five weeks after its introduction showed mixed results. McDonald’s golden arches promise the same basic menu and QSCV in every restaurant. Its products, handling and cooking procedures, and kitchen layouts are standardized and strictly controlled. McDonald’s revoked the first French franchise because the franchise failed to meet its standards for fast service and cleanliness, even though their restaurants were highly profitable. This may have delayed its expansion in France. McDonald’s restaurants are run by local managers and crews. Owners and managers attend the Hamburger University near Chicago or in other places around the world to learn how to operate a McDonald’s restaurants and maintain QSCV. The main campus library and modern electronic classrooms (which include simultaneous translation systems) are the envy of many universities. When McDonald’s opened in Moscow, a one-page advertisement resulted in 30,000 inquiries about the jobs; 4,000 people were interviewed and some 300 were hired. The pay is about 50 percent higher than the average Soviet salary. McDonald’s ensures consistent products by controlling every stage of the distribution. Regional distribution centers purchase products and distribute them to individual restaurants. The centers will buy from local suppliers if the suppliers can meet detailed specifications. McDonald’s has had to make some concessions to available products. For example, it is difficult to introduce the Idaho potato in Europe because of special soil requirements. McDonald’s uses essentially the same competitive strategy in every country: be first in a market and establish its brand as rapidly as possible by advertising very heavily. New restaurants are opened with a bang. So many people attended the opening of one Tokyo restaurant that the police closed the street to vehicles. The strategy has helped McDonald’s develop a strong market share in the fast-food market, even though its U. S competitors and new local competitors quickly enter the market. McDonald’s advertising campaigns are based on local themes and reflect the different environments. In Japan, where burgers are a snack, McDonald’s competes against confectioneries and new â€Å"fast sushi† restaurants. Many of the charitable causes McDonald’s supports abroad have been recommended by its local restaurants. McDonald’s business structures take a variety of forms, with 66 percent of the restaurants being franchises. The development licenses are similar to franchising, but they do not require McDonald’s investment. Joint ventures are undertaken when understanding of the local environment is critically important. The McDonald’s Corporation operates about 21 percent of the restaurants. McDonald’s has been willing to relinquish the most control to its Far Eastern operations, where many restaurants are joint ventures with local entrepreneurs, who own 50 percent or more of the restaurant. European and South American restaurants are generally company-operated or franchised (although there are many affiliates, or joint ventures, in France). Like the U. S franchises, restaurants abroad are allowed to experiment with their menus. In Japan, hamburgers are smaller because they are considered a snack. The Quarter Pounder does not make much sense to people on a metric system, so it is called a Double Burger. Some German restaurants serve beer; some French restaurants serve wine. Some Far Eastern McDonald’s restaurants offer oriental noodles. In Canada, the menu includes cheese, vegetables, pepperoni, and deluxe pizza. However, these new items must not disrupt the existing operation. Despite its success, McDonald’s faces tough competitors, such as Burger King, Wendy’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), and now also Pizza Hut. Moreover, fast food in reheatable containers is now also sold in supermarkets, delicatessens, convenience stores, and even gas stations. McDonald’s has done very well, with a great percentage of profits coming now from International operations. For example, McDonald’s dominates the Japanese market with 1,860 outlets (half the Japanese market) in 1996 compared to only 43 Burger King Restaurants. However, the British food conglomerate Grand Metropolitan PLC, which owns Burger King, haw an aggressive strategy for Asia. Although McDonald’s has been in a very favorable competitive position, since 2001 the customer satisfaction level has been below that of its competitors Wendy’s and Burger King. In China, KFC is more popular than McDonald’s. Some observers suggest that McDonald’s has expanded too fast and that Burger King and Wendy’s have tastiest meals. It is Mr. Jack Greenberg’s (McDonald’s top manager) task to change things around.

Corporate Law Essay -- Business, Free Market

Harmonization of private international law aspects concerning corporations is the best way to resolve the uncertainties surrounding corporate cross-border mobility. Harmonization of substantive laws concerning corporations is, on the other hand, unattainable and undesirable? Discuss in relation to: (i) Regulating company law matters; AND (ii) Regulating their insolvency. 1. Introduction Modern day corporations with their multilateral nature have created their owned corporate governance regime. Proponents argue that this corporation are replacing states and brining their own current in world’s economy especially the free market. Further, with the wave of globalization these firms have established themselves so firmly in the local and cross border markets that are beyond the imagination as to compare to the perception when the idea of company was formally conceived in legislative instrument. The ongoing process of globalization has also provided corporation with profound changes in the way they conduct their business. Today international transactions are not merely exchange of goods with the foreigner as was in the recent past. Now, corporations are involved in every transaction and there are number of agreements and process going in between such transactions. Comparatively there are more complex legal regimes on one hand, and liberty of abolition of national b arriers with great competition. Today, corporations have a number of methods to capture any market around the globe. There are thin line for demarcation of the area of private international law and public international law as both govern the relationship between international person and states or international person with international person or both depending on th... ...ng. [FN9] That is, the con-tracts between shareholders and other constituencies and the constitution between shareholders and managers create appropriate incentives for the value of the firm to be maximised and distributed amongst the various claimants. The need for judicial intervention should be limited to exceptional cases (although the definition of ‘exceptional’ may be debated). Much attention has been paid to the role of contracts in the theory of the firm, but the role of the constitution as a regulator of collective action by shareholders has not been analysed systematically. [FN10] In the section that follows, I initially *422 analyse the role of organisational constitutions in regulating collective action in general terms, having regard to the constitutional economics of James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock. [FN11] I then apply this model to corporations.

Athena and Telemachus

Chayenne Georges Prof Jette Eng-111 3/10/13 Athena and Telemachus Athena, the Grey eyed goddess, is one of those women in The Odyssey whose role is so important. She is the goddess of wisdom, who helps Telemachus on a journey to bring his father back home. Athena goes to Odysseus son to put courage in him. She doesn’t show her true self to humans; instead Athena disguises herself on three different occasions. She appeared as Odysseus friend Mentes, when she approached Telemachus. When Athena touches down Ithaca she is immediately spotted by Telemachus, who was sitting unhappy among the suitor.Free-will is greatly used between Athena and Telemachus, when she is persuading him to find his father. Athena says, â€Å"If I were you, I should take these steps to make these men disperse,† [Homer, 320]. Here Athena is trying to get Telemachus to realize that it’s time for his father to come to Ithaca, and he has to get the suitors out of his home. In The Odyssey Telemach us is portrayed as a boy who has to grow up, he needs to find the courage and guidance to find his father, Athena is Telemachus’ voice she is the one who helps give this courage to him.The Odyssey give you more of an external view of the characters, it doesn’t really expose their inner thoughts or feelings. Meadowlands by, Louise Gluck demonstrates Telemachus’ true feelings for his father. â€Å"When I was younger I felt sorry for myself compulsively; in practical terms, I had no father; my mother lived at her loom hypothesizing her husband’s erotic life;† [Meadowlands, Telemachus’ Kindness, 24]. Here a whole different side of Telemachus is being identified.In Meadowlands Telemachus is angry at his parents, he pity them. This quote from Telemachus’ Kindness shows the anger he has towards his father for leaving. He feels as if he had no childhood because he never had a father figure in his life. Penelope sorrowed over Odysseus absence, instead of marrying one of the suitors and give Telemachus a father figure, someone to look to, Penelope often fantasied about her husband life and what he is doing while he is gone. She would loom every night to stall the suitors, keep from marrying them.

Facebook effects Essay

THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF FACEBOOK A Keeping in touch with family and friends-Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with your family and friends that live far away with instant messaging and even video chat. Facebook is the perfect environment to stay connected with the status updates, photos, and profile, information it can keep you updated on the happeningof all your close ones. B Making new friends-Facebook makes meeting new people extremely easy due to the facts that it allow you to add to thousands of friends, and acts as a social melting pot of the internet. If you comment on a friends status and one of their friends comment on it maybe you too will strike up your own conversation. This can lead to a great friendship down the road. Those people find it a lot easier to start a conversation with someone over facebook that it real life. So a lot of high school relationships tend to start there. It’s as so a lot of high school relationship tend to start there. It’s as simple as a â€Å"you should text me some time. C Expressing yourself. Facebook makes expressing yourself very simple with status updates. Between showing of your favorite song lyrics to posting pictures of your new outfit. Facebook is the most common way the people express themselves these days. It is a lot harder to feel embarrassment over the internet than in person, so people find it easier to â€Å"event† their feeling on facebook. Claim that it is a worldwide distraction and even obsession that amount to nothing except for significant amounts of the time wasted there is even a group that is trying to stunt the influence. THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF FACEBOOK A Cyber bullying-on Facebook is very easy to cyber bullies to thrive. They can harras and/or gang up one person even easier than they could in a school environment. There aren’t moderators that go around monitoring what people say to each other. Anything can be said. There are also a relatively small amount of parents that have facebook accounts and keep up with their children. More than once we witnessed this form of bullying, whether it be about race appearance, intelligence. B Stalker friendly-Facebook is very stalker friendly website the eoretically, someone that you don’t even know can say that they go to your school, add you and get all of your information this way include your phone number, house address and locations you visit frequently. Not to mention the fact that they will be able to go through all of your pictures and get to know you completely without you ever knowing. This is a scary thought but it is a real issue. Social networking site have several types of users the stalker, the smooth talker, the quiet type the narcissist, Mr, Mrs. Friendly, the games, and the bully are just a few names that I use to describe some of them when using facebookas any type of social networking site one should always be aware. C Distraction- At the end of the day you may have seen your cousin’s new outfit and talked to your sister who is in college, but you still haven’t really accomplished anything in the hour that you were on. Critics of facebook claim that it is a worldwide distraction and even obsession that amount to nothing except for significant amount to nothing of the time wasted. There is even a group that is trying to stunt the influence of facebook.

The Chrysantemums essays

The Chrysantemums essays Chrysanthemums, by John Steinbeck To have an excellent short story, it must contain a vivid setting that the readers can visualize, a realistic characterization that is easy to relate to, and a well developed plot. John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums definitely meets all these requirements. The Chrysanthemums is set in the Salinas Valley in California. A place where sunshine shines off the river, but in December, it bathes in cold sunshine. The high gray-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and all the rest of the world. On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot (326). The wintry weather blew a light wind from the southwest, which the farmers hoped would bring rain. The immediate setting is Henry Allens ranch across the river. There is little work to be done there, the hay has been cut and the orchards were plowed up awaiting the rain. In the garden, Elisa Allen is cutting down the old chrysanthemum stalks. Steinbecks description of the Salinas Valley is remarkable. The setting is an important part of the puzzle that completes a short story; it lets the readers visualize the scenery. Steinbeck creates a realistic characterization in this story with Elisa Allen. She is a strong woman who struggles with equality and feminism. Early in the story, Elisa conceals her figure in her gardening clothes. She wears a mans black hat to cover her eyes, clodhopper shoes to hide her feet, and an apron covering her sunflower dress. In her garden, Elisa cuts down her chrysanthemums stalks with intense energy. This makes her feel masculine and in control. She struggles to exemplify her masculinity in a male dominated society. When her husband Henry comes over and jokes about taking her to the fights, Elisa says she wouldnt like fights. Elisa reacts like a man to situations, but is always re ...

Brand Extension Essay Example for Free

Brand Extension Essay Brand extension is a marketing strategy according to which a company marketing a product or a service launches a new offering (product or service) that is related to the one of the existing brands of the company, but offers different benefits and/or targets a different segment. Organizations use this strategy to increase and leverage upon their brand equity. When a firm is introducing a new product, it has the following 3 choices on branding: 1. Developing a new brand for the new product 2. Using the existing brand for the new product 3. Combining the new brand and the existing brand The use of 2nd and 3rd strategy is referred to as brand extension. Brands may be classified as one of the following: Parent Brand: If an existing brand gives birth to a brand extension, it is referred to as parent brand. Sub Brand: When a new brand is combined with an existing brand, it is called as sub brand. Family Brand: If a parent brand has links with multiple brands through brand extensions then it is called as family brand. There are a large number of ways in which brand extension can be accomplished. One of the vital differences is if the extension is in the same or different category of the product. Thus they can be classified as: vertical or horizontal extensions. Vertical extensions refer to the introduction of a related brand in the same product category but having a different price and quality balance. Vertical extensions offer the firm a quickest way to leverage upon the core product’s equity. As an extension strategy, vertical extension is widely practiced in many industries. For example, within automobile industry, the various brand models attempt to offer different price-quality bundles to attract various market segments. Often a product is extended in an attempt to just gain more of the market share. New product introductions using vertical extensions can extend in 2 directions, upscale and downscale vertical extensions. The vertical brand extension is that type of new product introduction that seems to be carrying less risk and seemingly having more appeal to management. The new product which is being introduced is in the same category as the parent product; aims at a same market segment as the parent, and may or may not enjoy the same acceptance as the parent. Upscale extensions involve a new product introduction by the firm with higher price & quality characteristics than the original product. It involves a new product introduction with lower price & quality characteristics than the original. Downscale vertical extensions may target sampling to a new segment, and bring some gain in market share. Generally, horizontal brand extensions either use or extend an existing product’s name to a new product in the same product category or to a product category new to the organization. There are 2 types of horizontal extensions which differ in terms of their focus area. They are termed as line extensions and category extensions. All the customers differ in terms of their usage needs. The brand has to fill the market with variety of products as per the needs of the segments. If a parent brand is used to brand a new product that targets a new segment in the market within the same product category that was previously served by the parent brand, it is called as line extension. Line extension leads to the addition of a new and distinct flavour or ingredient to the category. It sometimes might also lead to a new application for the brand or an introduction of a different form or size. For example, Bisleri is the pioneering brand in category of mineral water. Originally, Bisleri started off with 1 ltr bottle. But recently, the brand has launched bottles of different sizes and quantities. Brand Extension. (2016, Dec 08).

Comparative Analysis of Prayer in Islam with Prayer in Christianity Research Paper

Comparative Analysis of Prayer in Islam with Prayer in Christianity - Research Paper Example Comparative Analysis of Prayer in Islam with Prayer in Christianity It will analyze role and meaning of prayer in general as well as in each of two religions in particular. The first part of the paper will examine such prayer related themes as meaning of prayer in Islam: calling out of the muezzin: parts of the five time prayer; prayer in the Koran; the Fatiha – the main prayer of the Muslims. The second part of the paper will discuss prayer from Christian perspective: particularly prayer in Catholicism and ways of praying; Liturgy of the hours; prayer and the Scripture; the Lord’s Prayer – the main prayer of the Christians. Notion of pray is present almost in all religions which eve existed and still exist today. Prayer usually expresses such feelings as love and faith, respect, regret and sorrow, happiness and gratitude. Being one of the essential parts of spiritual practice, a prayer is utilized in worshiping God. However, prayer is different in different religions. There are various forms of prayer: spoken and written words, meditations, songs, etc. usually religious people call prayer a conversation with God. However, only religious people can understand all the nuances and meanings of the spiritual power of a prayer (Beasler 196). According to Mauss prayer is very ancient and unique religious phenomenon (p. 21). Role of prayer has always been complex and constantly changing. Both in Islam and in Christianity prayer place significant role, because is the first and the major means of communication or connection of the believer and God. II. Meaning of prayer 1. Prayer in Islam Holy prayer salat is one of the major pillars of Islam. Except prayer there are four other fundamentals of Islam such as almsgiving (zakat), fasting during the month of Ramadan (sawm), pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj), and personal declaration of faith to God and Mohammed (shahad) (Oh 38). Role of prayer in Islam cannot be underestimated. According to the teachings of the Muslims, the payer was mentioned by the Prophet Mohammed after his revelation about faith. Like Moses and Jesus taught about role of prayer and praying, Mohammed taught about praying Allah. One cannot be a Muslim without praying. It is obligation of every Muslim to pray God and Prophet in their remembrance, because prayer is act of confession of faith. Muslims deliver their prayer five times a day, so prayer is rather an act of worshiping: at daybreak, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. Muhammad himself established the times for praying as well as ritual actions. In Muslim countries anyone can hear the call to pray of the muezzin. It serves as a calling out or a reminder to pray. Usually the muezzin delivers his calling out via a megaphone located on the top of a mosque’s minaret. So, the muezzin calls out: God is most great [Allahu Akbar], God is most great, God is most great, God is most great, I witness that there is no god but God [Allah]; I witness that there is no god but God. I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God. I witn ess that Muhammad is the messenger of God. Come to prayer; come to prayer! Come to prosperity; come to prosperity! God is most great. God is most great. There is no god but God (Esposito 18). People, who are at work or with family, busy or doing nothing, hear the reminder and know that it’s time to go to pray. No matter how busy a person is, they should go to the mosque and concentrate their mind on the pray to their God Allah. Even if there is no mosque nearby, a person can pray in